Strangely familiar

Strangely familiar
Aria's POV

After Luca left I didn't sleep again.

I had spent most of the past days falling in and out of slumber... It was getting tiring.

Plus... I had a little energy today.

I stood up from the bed and began walking around. It felt weird at first. Almost as though I was just learning to walk again.

It was only then that I noticed the bandage around my ankles and knees.

I had wounded them back when I was still in that place. I guess he took care of that too.

My lips stretched to form a small smile as I stared at it.

He was being caring again.

Then the thought of what happened to me for the past six weeks crossed my mind. The way he disregarded me for someone else... someone who had always been there.

He didn't believe me and only trusted what she said.

My smile slowly disappeared,

I glared at the bandages as though they were him.

"How can you be so nice and caring, and still push me away the same way? Why do you always make me misunderstand you?"

What exactly did he want from me?

Why was he confusing me so much?

Even when he was here a few hours ago...

He apologized...

He still said it again, that he loved me.

It was fake.

It just had to be fake. Because, how do you hurt someone you claim you love?

But then again... Hurt, pain, betrayal... Those were the only ways I had ever experienced love.

My father did it. Luca did it too.

Maybe that was the only way I was meant to experience love.

The only person who didn't hurt me in the name of love was... Was Paloma.

I didn't even know how she was doing now. The last time I saw her... She was only able to go far away from Luca's grasp because of Payson's help.

But it could have been a lie too.

Luca was impossible to tell. Payson was loyal.

He could have sent him to spy on Paloma... Maybe to check where she was.

I didn't even know how she was doing now. If she were still alive, or if she were feeding well... Living well.

It's been almost two months since I last saw her.

Was she still in the country or did she return as I had advised?

Or has... Had Noel and Viola gotten to her?

"Aish..." I let out an exhausted breath, falling back on the bed.

Walking was too much work.

And so I was thinking. But I couldn't just stop my mind from bringing up those thoughts now could I?

Luca...

He had invaded my thoughts completely.

Even when I was in pain I thought of him, when I was out... I still thought of him.
Did he enjoy doing this to me?

Tattarattat!

The sound of a door snapped me out of my thoughts, I looked towards the door.

Luca?

Was he back already?

My heart skipped a beat and I sat up on the bed, staring intensely at the door.

Then the person behind the door spoke,
"Ms, your meal is here."

"Meal?" I repeated, sounding skeptical.

It was only then that I realized that I hadn't eaten all day.

I hadn't eaten in a while.

I nodded at the door. "Come in."

The next second, I heard the sound of the door opening... It took a few seconds before the door was pushed open.

Someone came in... She looked like a maid. She had her head down as she walked into my room, a tray in her hand.

"Meal?" I repeated.

"Yes." She nodded, gesturing to the tray in her hands. "Mr. Morretti asked that it should be made specially for you."

Specially?

The way she said it sounded off.

I tried to look at her face, but it looked as though she was deliberately hiding it from me. She kept her head down all through.

Maybe it was just my imagination but... 'Did I see a smirk on her lips?'

I shook my head and sighed again.

I was probably just trying too hard to the point I had begun to hallucinate again.
"Oh, thank you," I said to the maid before pointing at the small table by the bedside. "You can just drop it there."

The maid nodded, then she turned to the table and dropped the food.

Her actions were graceful... Maybe a bit too efficient for a maid.

I studied her a little.

Her clothing... It was just like the other maids. Only that her cap looked a bit bigger, and she wore a glove in her hands?

Was she a neat freak?

Did she have ocd?

My mind wandered as I stared at her. It just kept on making random ideas about her.

She felt strange to me. Not good strange... Just, just strange.

She looked as though she would have been a beauty. Plus her actions were too precise, like a model.

What then was she doing here?

And her back... Her back seemed a little bit familiar.

Suddenly, the lady turned to face me. "Please, don't forget to eat it." She said, jolting me out of my train of thought. "You haven't had anything to eat all day."

Her voice...

It seemed a bit forced, as though she was trying deliberately to hide the way it sounded. But...

But maybe I was just being paranoid. I had been like that lately.

Didn't the doctors who came to check on me say I was suffering from dehydration and stress?

Maybe it was just that.

"Okay. I won't." I nodded, smiling at her.

She then gave me a small bow, turned around, and left.

I watched her movements.

They... They truly did seem a bit familiar.

Was I just overthinking it?

I was too used to hallucinations back when I was in that dungeon.

Almost nothing I thought was real, my mind... It had gone crazy, bringing up several thoughts that could either make my stay even more uncomfortable or completely terrifying.

I had never felt so scared during my time there.

I shook my head refusing to believe my thoughts.

Just then, my stomach rumbled.

I was hungry.

Then my eyes went towards the covered tray on the table.

'Would I be able to eat this time?' I wondered as I stared at it.

For over a week or two, most of the food that was brought to the dungeon... I had thrown them up.

Some, I couldn't even stand their smell.

Would this time be any different?

Refusing to just keep thinking, I stood up from the bed and walked towards the table. "What did she bring..." I wandered, my hands hovering over the cover.

I expected something extravagant.

She did say Luca sent her... Although I couldn't understand his feelings, from the little I could make out about him, he would he trying to apologize now... Wouldn't he?

Even if the apology was fake.

I pulled the cover open, but instead was met with something else...

My brows wrinkled and I frowned.

"Soup?"